cmanding wrote:

why such a big difference in price?

It'll be interesting to see if once you get her there, they will try to talk you into more options that will up the price.

I got a recommendation for a vet whose prices were just too good to be true. When I called and asked what the price would be for a first puppy visit his quote was about half the price of other vets in the area. It appears that he only quotes the price of the visit...then you need a shot...and Frontline...and Heartguard...etc. Most other vets were quoting a price for a full package.

Hopefully this is not the case! When I got Sabaka neutred I was offered the more expensive option of cutting with a laser instead of a scalpel and also adding a laser light healing process (??? - can't remember what it was called) for extra money. They also allowed me to make the decision of whether to do blood work, have an ekg or place an IV port in case of emergency during surgery. If I had chosen ALL the available options, it would have be VERY pricey! I liked being able to make all these choices myself and not having them forced on me if I thought they were unneccessary.

I hope all goes well for Siku today!!

Fingers crossed for Siku today. Is she at the vet yet? Please keep us updated, Siku will be on my mind all day! Positive, healing vibes being sent her way.

Huskyluv wrote:

Fingers crossed for Siku today. Is she at the vet yet? Please keep us updated, Siku will be on my mind all day! Positive, healing vibes being sent her way.

+1!!

Hope the spay goes uneventful today. Get better siku!

Hope it all goes well Sara!

Dropped her off this morning after waiting an hour in traffic! Freaking I-4 was shut down due to a bad accident, so eventhough I was using a different route it was still took forever.

I'll see what they end up charging me, but so far I just dropped her off and left. I can pick her up between 4 and 6pm later today. I'll keep you updated! Need to go find an e-collar just in case Siku starts licking her stiches. Hopefully my mom has one I can use.

Will you be able to call or will they call you to update you after she comes out of surgery to let you know how it went and how she's doing?

Dearest Siku, have strength and heal well, you are loved by many

Got a call from the vet. Siku is out of surgery and everything went fine. But they said she didn't have pyometra! So now I don't know what to think.

Well that's a relief but it does make us wonder what the heck was going on with her.

really strange! glad she's doing well though

That is strange, but I am so glad to hear she's doing well.

She is home now, sleeping. The vet who did the spay said he didn't see any signs of pyometra, but the other vet said she had the begining stages of it. So I don't know if the guy just didn't notice anything cause she was just starting to get it or what. But there was a lot of discharge the other day and it smelled rotten. I know that sometimes they smell funky when they are in heat, but this was totally different and looked just like some of the pictures I found online of the disease.

So at least she's spayed now and if she had it, she'll be fine. I just need to keep an eye on her to make sure if she did have it that she doesn't get an infection from it.

I'm so glad that she's home and that the surgery went well. Weird that this vet said she didn't have it though. Oh well, like you said, if she did have it it's gone now. How is she recuperating? Mya went straight the bed the day she got home and was still a little down the next day, but was fine after that.

She threw up about 4 times and is really tired. Hopefully she'll feel better tomorrow. Oh and on a side note, I'm glad the vet didn't shave her down like some crazy vets do. Just shaved her stomach a little. I've seen some that shave their stomachs, down the inside of their legs, and their front leg where I'm guessing they put an iv.

So tests the see if she had pyometra - $300
Spay - $105

Wish I had just gotten her spayed a few months ago!!!

Poor Siku Hopefully she'll be OK tomorrow. Mishka was really out of it and sick after she got spayed, none of the others had issues at all.

I hope she feels better tomorrow. Poor little Siku.. Spays scare me! I was not worried at all with Koda getting fixed, all they do is rip the goods out.. but Rogue is being spayed in a month and I'm terrified! And you just reminded me to tell them to shave her as little as possible, as I will freak over a very shaved dog!

Heatherlee wrote:

And you just reminded me to tell them to shave her as little as possible, as I will freak over a very shaved dog!

lol sometimes technicians get a little crazy with the clippers! One of my tech teachers was that way... always drove me crazy!

Thank goodness that my vet only shaved Mya's tummy a little bit when she got spayed

Get well soon Siku!

a lot of zoey's belly was shaved, but it grew back really fast

Glad the surgery went well. Get well soon Siku!

Sending well wishes and a get better!

This might explain the extra cost when it involves Pyometra:

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/jlee/2011/aug/pyometra_emergency_spay#leavecomments

As a veterinarian, I hear all the excuses for not wanting to spay or neuter a family pet. Some pet owners think it devalues, or "de-sexes" their pet. Others want to breed their dog or cat to allow their children to experience the "miracle of life." Others have had a bad experience with a previous spay, neuter, or anesthesia, making them gun-shy about an elective surgery.

When it comes down to it, most veterinary professionals and animal advocates tout the benefits of spaying and neutering. Some advocate it to reduce problems with pet overpopulation, while others advocate it to minimize the risks of mammary (i.e., breast) or prostate cancer; studies have shown that you can reduce a bitch’s incidence of breast cancer by over 90 percent if you have her spayed before her first heat. There’s strong veterinary scientific evidence about the health benefits of spaying and neutering. (That said, there’s also recent information stating otherwise, but that’s for another blog entry!)

As an emergency specialist, why do I recommend spaying or neutering early in life? Because at some point, you’ll likely end up doing it due to medical reasons in your dog or cat … and you don’t want to wait until your pet is geriatric or is facing a medical emergency (when it’s also more costly). First, an older pet has a slightly higher risk of anesthesia complications due to underlying metabolic problems (e.g., their kidneys or liver may not be functioning as well as a younger pet’s). The other reason? The dreaded pyometra…

Pyometra, a severe infection of the uterus, can be life-threatening without medical or surgical attention. In cats and dogs that aren’t spayed, the chronic affect of sex hormones can result in cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH), which results in pus accumulation (usually secondary to the bacteria E. coli) within the uterus. This hormonal effect typically takes place several weeks after a heat cycle, followed by a massive infection thereafter.

Pyometras can be either "open" or "closed," which refers to whether or not the cervix is open (draining out pus), or closed (keeping all the pus hidden away in the uterus, but not dripping out of your pet’s end). Open pyometras are easy to diagnosis; after all, your pet is draining foul, malodorous, bloody green discharge from her vulva. Closed pyometras can be life-threatening, because they aren’t as obvious to pet owners. As pets often hide their signs until they are very severe, pet owners may not realize their pet has a life-threatening infection in its uterus. Without treatment (which is almost always surgically treated), the uterus can rupture, resulting in septic peritonitis (bacteria within the abdomen) and sepsis.

Clinical signs to look for include:
Excessive thirst or urination
Inappetance or lack of appetite
Lethargy
Vomiting
Abdominal enlargement
Pus dripping from the vulva
Constant licking of the vulva
Collapse
An elevated heart rate
Diagnosis is based on blood work, X-rays, and abdominal ultrasound, and while medical management has been reported, I never recommend it; after all, the problem will just reoccur. Ideally, surgical removal of the pus-filled uterus is necessary. In other words, an emergency, middle-of-the-night spay, which often can run you several thousand dollars. While it may seem unfair to have to pay so much for an emergency spay, the procedure is much more complicated than a traditional ovariohysterectomy. After all, your critically ill dog or cat requires more extensive anesthesia and surgery. Keep in mind that the uterus is much larger and more difficult to remove, and post-operative hospitalization is longer (and typically includes intravenous antibiotics, fluids, pain medications, etc.).

The cheaper option: spay before your pet’s first heat. You’ll save money in the long run, minimize the risks to your pet, and help prevent accidental breedings and secondary pet overpopulation at the same time.



Dr. Justine Lee

Siku seems to be doing much better today! I gave her a little bit of vanilla ice cream last night to get a little something in her. She's still in a little bit of pain and tired, but she ate some kibble soaked in water (just a little bit, so she didn't start throwing up again) and was wagging her tail. I did have to put the cone of shame on her this morning. She was licking her stitches, but found out she can still reach them with the cone on! Her dang muzzle is too long! And she kept running into things with it, so we just took it off and yell at her if she starts licking it again. Right now she's just sleeping in her crate.

My theory is that she did have open pyometra and it was just so early there wasn't enough pus for the vet who did the spay to notice. Cause my other vet did look at some of the discharge under a microscope and an x-ray and both showed pyometra.